Outcome MWI_D_3.1

By 2028, more people, in particular women, children, and youth, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized, are resilient with access to and utilization of quality, equitable, efficient, gender and shock-responsive education, health, nutrition, WASH, social and protection services.

Monitoring data from the Gender and HIV UBRAF project indicates that there has been an increased number of reported and resolved cases of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) generally during the reporting period in the two districts that UN Women has been implementing the EVAW projects. For example, a total of 89 GBV cases were reported within the project target areas of Mangochi and Zomba, with 31 cases in Q1, 21 in Q2, 18 in Q3, and 19 in Q4. Most of these cases involved marital affairs, civil disputes, land grabbing, teenage marriages, child and parental neglect, child labour, alcohol and drug-related abuse, theft of property and finances, and rape. Analysis of the reported cases indicates widespread domestic issues, sexual abuse involving minors, and child safety concerns in schools. Counselling and intervention efforts by Change Agents, community structures, and school authorities were instrumental in addressing these cases. Their efforts facilitated conflict resolution, ensured appropriate case escalation, and highlighted the critical need for stronger preventative measures to address these challenges effectively.

By 2028, more people, in particular women, children, and youth, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized, are resilient with access to and utilization of quality, equitable, efficient, gender and shock-responsive education, health, nutrition, WASH, social and protection services.

These frameworks are operationalized through national coordination mechanisms like the GBV Technical Working Group and strategies such as the National Strategy on Ending Child Marriage (2024–2030) and the National Male Engagement Strategy (2023–2030) (MoGCDSW, 2024; UNFPA, 2023). Despite this progress, SDG indicators highlight persistent gaps: 38% of women aged 20–24 were married before age 18 and 6% before age 15 (Malawi DHS, 2022), while 16.6% of ever-partnered women aged 15–49 experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner in the past year (WHO VAW Database, 2022). Non-partner sexual violence remains lower but significant, affecting around 2–3% of women aged 15–49, with higher prevalence among younger women and most incidents occurring in community spaces (Malawi DHS, 2022; WHO, 2022). Complementing these policy efforts, UN Women’s HeForShe Gender & HIV Project to justice, health, and psychosocial services, reached over 1,154 participants through integrated GBV/HIV outreach, facilitated 292 HIV tests, and supported 63 women with economic empowerment interventions, demonstrating tangible progress in improving survivor-centered services and reducing vulnerability (UN Women HeForShe Report, 2025).